What To Do In Bangkok – A 3 Day Bangkok Itinerary

by Maria Last updated on November 8, 2017 124 comments

Bangkok or Krung Thep, “City of Angels”, is like our home away from home. We simply love this vibrant and urban big city with all its life, delicious street food, green and lush parks, a network of rivers, amazing shopping, some of the biggest markets in the world, and of course, its friendly people. We have visited Bangkok many times, and in 2014, we lived there for four months. Each time we come back we fall deeper and deeper in love with this amazing city!

Beneath the dust and chaos, Bangkok is packed with things to do and places to see. From street-side restaurants with plastic chairs and road-side amulet stalls to top-notch restaurants and the world’s hippest rooftop bars. From exploring ancient temples to taking a tuk-tuk tour through the Bangkok night to Muay Thai boxing at the gigantic new Lumpini Stadium, or visiting a colourful flower market. Bangkok has it all and there is never a dull moment when you hit the streets of this city.

Here is our ultimate 3-day itinerary with our highlights of what to do in Bangkok. It is a combination of the typical can’t miss tourist sites of Bangkok, but also some corky and off-the-beaten-track places that you will not find in the tourist guides. If you have less than three days to spend in this big city, feel free to choose parts of this itinerary and mix it up as it suits you best.

The Ultimate 3 Day Bangkok Itinerary

DAY 1 – The River, Temples, and Historic Sites

After breakfast (at your hotel or a street stall) take the sky train to Saphan Taksin and jump on a ferry from Sathorn/ Central Pier station on the Chao Phraya river (press each image for a bigger version):

The rivers and canals are the heart of Bangkok, and it`s cross-river ferries are still the main transportation for the locals. The area along the main river of Bangkok (Ko Ratanakosin) used to be the ancient royal district and this is where many of Bangkok`s most famous attractions is located. You can easily walk in between the temples and sites in this area, but it is best to get an early start as most of these sites close around 3:30 pm and there is plenty to see!

Whatever you do, be wary of anyone who approaches you in this area, speaks perfect English, and tell you that the sight is closed today. They are often people who want to steer you to a gem or tailor shop where they will get a commission. Even guards and other official-looking people may sometimes try to convince you to go to one of these shops.

Take the Public River Ferry from Central Pier up to No. 9 Tha Chang and get off to start your walking tour to see some of the most famous landmarks of Bangkok:

1. Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

The former home of the monarch, the Grand Palace is located right beside the architectural wonder that is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The grounds contain more than 100 buildings, all beautifully decorated with gold and diamonds in different colours in old-Bangkok style. The Temple of Emerald Buddha is regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand.

The amazing Royal Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Opening hours: Everyday 8:30 – 15:30

Ticket price: 400 Baht = 13 usd

Estimated time: 2-3 hours

What to wear: You must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Wear shirts with sleeves, long pants or skirts and shoes. So no tank tops! If you’re wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks, so no bare feet. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entry that provides clothes to cover you up properly. You must leave your passport or credit card as security. Shoes should be removed before entering the main chapel. Also, when sitting in front of a Buddha image, remember to tuck your feet behind you to avoid the very offensive pose of pointing your feet towards Buddha.

2. Wat Pho – Gigantic reclining Buddha

From Grand Palace, walk (about 10 minutes) or take the ferry one stop to No. 8 Tha Tien Pier. Grab something quick and delicious to eat and drink at one of the many food stalls along the street on your way to Wat Pho. Wat Pho – the gigantic reclining Buddha is amazingly beautiful covered in gold leaf and mother-of-pearl ornaments inlaid in his feet. It is a remarkable 46 m long and 15 m high (!!), and illustrates Buddha entering nirvana (Buddha`s death).

Wat Pho also contains four chapels with no less than 394 (!!) gilded Buddha images, a long line of golden Buddhas from all over Thailand sitting in lotus position.

Even though your main mission at Wat Pho is of course to see the reclining Buddha, don`t forget to wander around in the courtyard and admire the Chinese statutes that were once used as ballast on ships, as well as the 91 stupas that are beautifully decorated in ceramic pottery flowers and colourful and sparkling tiles.

Wat Pho is also Thailand`s headquarters for the teaching of traditional Thai medicine and Thai massage. After this walk around Grand Palace and Wat Pho, nothing beats a relaxing head or foot massage. If this is your first time in Thailand, this is a safe and very authentic place to try out Thai massage. If this is something you want to try out here, you should pop over and book a spot when entering Wat Pho as there can be a waiting list.

Opening hours: Every day 8:00 – 17:00 (Thai massage is available till 18:00)

Ticket price: 100 Baht = 3 usd

Estimated time: 1-2 hour (extra time if you want a Thai massage)

3. Wat Arun – Temple of the Dawn

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Now it is time to cross the river, so jump on a cross-river ferry from No. 8 Tha Tien to Wat Arun pier (only 3 Baht = 0,09 usd). On your way to the Grand Palace and Wat PhraKaew you passed this temple with the ferry, so you already know that it is spectacular and atmospheric with its steep piers reaching up in the sky. It is at its most impressive after dark when it is lit up and looks a bit magical and like a fairytale. Unfortunately, it closes before nightfall.

This is my favourite temple in Bangkok. In the middle of this temple lays its most prominent feature, a 82 m high beautifully decorated Khmer-style tower where you can walk up the steep stairs and admire the view of Bangkok and its rivers. Ah, I love this temple!

Opening hours: Every day 8:30 – 17:30

Ticket price: 100 Baht= 3 usd

Estimated time: 1-2 hour

4. Eat Bangkok’s Best Pad Thai

After all this walking and sightseeing you will probably be starving! Now it`s time to eat. From Wat Aron, take the cross-river ferry back to No. 8 Tha Tien. From there take the river ferry to No. 6 Memorial Bridge, and grab a tuk-tuk to Tip Samai restaurant (313 Th Maha Chai, Banglamphu). Just make sure it`s after 5 pm, as this is when Tip Samai opens.

The small restaurant Thip Samai has some of the best Pad Thai in Bangkok! Not bad considering that they sell Pad Thai EVERYWHERE in this city.

Thip Samai also has the most delicious freshly squeezed orange juice I have ever tasted! It is really fresh and full of flavor!

After this delicious Pad Thai and orange juice, your energy is back up and it`s time to head onto the famous and vibrant China Town that is located by the river.

Go for a walk through the narrow streets and beautiful buildings in China Town, shop Chinese green tea and other Chinese souvenirs, and just watch the life on the streets.

Chinese/Thai street food in China Town.

How to get there: It is best to take a taxi or tuk-tuk to China Town

Estimated time: 1-2 hour

6. Kao San Road

Now it`s finally time to wind down with something cold in your glass or go partying with backpackers, hippies, and hipsters if you still have some energy left. Kao San Road is a crazy street packed with partying people, street food and street stalls selling clothes and souvenirs.

In Kao San Road you can stroll around among the many shopping stalls selling everything from strange Thai snacks like barbecued insects, hand painted t-shirts, beautiful lanterns, crazy party hats, and fake lonely planet books to leather handbags. Grab an ice-cold Chang beer and relax in a chair at one of the many street-side restaurants and bars while you watch the street life go by, or party hard late into the night if you still have some energy left……. 🙂

DAY 2 – Modern Bangkok, Shopping, and the Cinema

After all the sightseeing and temples of day 1, it`s time to dig out your credit cards and go shopping bonanza for gifts, souvenirs and everything you did not know you needed!

If you are staying in Bangkok during a weekend, Chatuchak Weekend Market is a real MUST! Chatuchak Weekend Market is the mother of all markets!

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak Weekend market is probably the biggest weekend market in the world. It consists of about 15 000 stalls covering more than one km, and it has been in Bangkok for decades. Here you will find just about anything you can imagine, both useful and not so useful stuff.

When: Saturdays and Sundays 06:00 – 18:00

What to get there: Well, basically just about everything you can imagine!

How to get there: Sky train to Mo Chit station, or the underground to Chatuchak station, and follow the stream of people.

If you are not in Bangkok a Saturday or Sunday, it is time to experience the modern side of Bangkok and visit the Siam area to go shopping. Take the sky train to Siam station or Chit Lom station.

Central World is huge, with its eight floors. Easy to get lost!

Siam is a shopping bonanza and we love it! You can spend hours and hours exploring the four big shopping centers that are located next to each other in the Siam area:

Central World (has an ice skating rink at ground floor)

Siam Paragon (has South East Asia´s biggest aquarium, Siam Ocean World at base level and the Exotic Thai store on 4th floor – perfect for gifts and souvenirs)

Oh boy, do you get tired and hungry from all this shopping! Now it`s time to sit down and have a lunch break.

Almost all of the big and posh shopping centers in Bangkok have food courts with food from all around the world. Many of them are in big open areas, which are usually very crowded and noisy. Kalpapruek on the 7th floor of Central World is a lovely quiet exception with some tasty Thai food.

With its nice and relaxed atmosphere, tasty and reasonably priced Thai food, delicious smoothies, and super tasty cakes, it is a great place to get your energy back in between the shopping! And their Mango Bingo smoothie is a must-try, it`s fabulous!

If you are not that hungry, and more up for something sweet, try one of their super tasty cakes. Their famous chocolate mud cake just melts in your mouth..mmmm…..believe me it is worth a try.

After some more shopping in these fancy and super big shopping malls, take a detour from modern Bangkok to explore a bit of its history. The Jim Thompson House, which is kind of like a museum, is located close to Siam Square and is just a short walk away from the shopping centers.

The story of Jim Thompson is a fascinating one, and quite a mystery too! His lovely house and garden is now a museum, and is well worth a visit! A guided tour around the garden and house, as well as a demonstration of how Thai silk is made, is included in the cheap ticket. The house also has a silk shop where you can find beautiful gifts and souvenirs, and a very nice restaurant/cafe tucked away in the green and lush garden serving delicious Thai food.

After the lovely Jim Thompson House, it is time to wind down and enjoy some modern entertainment. Bangkok has some of the best cinemas in the world, showing Hollywood movies in English with Thai subtitles.

Head back to Paragon shopping mall and take the escalator or lift up to the 5th floor where they have 4D cinema and IMAX cinema. Paragon has probably the best cinema complex in Bangkok, with both 4D, 3D and IMAX (all together they have 15 large-sized theaters). There are monitors at the entrances of Paragon, displaying an overview of which movies are showing and at what time.

Sink down into the comfortable cinema chair and end your busy shopping day relaxing with some popcorn watching the latest Hollywood movies in 4D or IMAX. Oh, and by the way, don’t forget to stand during the tribute video to his majesty the king that is shown before every movie!

DAY 3 – Silom Area, Lumphini Park, and a Skybar

1. Relax by the pool at your hotel

After two intense days packed with sightseeing and shopping, it is time to wind down and spend the morning soaking up some sun by the pool. You deserve it!

After this laid-back start of the day, head out and hop on the Skytrain or MRT to discover the Silom area of Bangkok.

Start your Silom exploration with lunch at either Bangrak restaurant or Somtum Der restaurant. Both Bangrak and Somtum Der serves delicious freshly made authentic Thai food. They are located on the same street, so you can go and check out both if you want.

Somtum Der may have Bangkok’s best Som Tam (Papaya salad). Somtum Der is an affordable, friendly place with delicious and authentic north Isaan Thai food. The atmosphere is great! They have a great outside area where you can sit and eat and drink their tasty martinis of vodka and lemongrass or Rosella.

Their specialty is the Som Tam (Papaya Salad), of which they have eight versions on the menu.

Som Tam/ Papaya Salad with shrimps at Somtum Der.

Cozy outside sitting area at Somtum Der.

Address: 5/5 Sala Daeng Road, Silom

How to get there: Take the sky train to Silom station, and walk from there (very short).

After some delicious Thai food for lunch, it is time to burn off those calories or lay down in the park for a siesta. Head over to the nearby Lumphini Park, Bangkok’s green lung, and biggest park. It is loved by both its inhabitants and visitors. We love it too!

The park is beautifully maintained and is perfect for a stroll or some relaxation on the grass or on one of its benches. If you visit it in the afternoon, around 17-18 o`clock, you can also watch or participate in the aerobics taking place in the park. Great fun!

Oh and by the way, if you are there at 18 o’clock, hear a song being played over the speakers, and suddenly everyone around you stops running and stands still for a few minutes, just do as they do. It is a song played in tribute to his majesty the king.

Lumphini Park

4. Dinner at La Table De Tee

After your park exploration and exercise, it is time to fill up the energy again, and there is not a better place to that than La Table De Tee restaurant.

La Table De Tee restaurant is a real gourmet treasure in Bangkok! The food is absolutely stunning, both in its presentation and taste! Each evening the chef has a set menu where you can choose between two starters, two main dishes, and two desserts. In between you also get two small dishes, so altogether five dishes. All dishes are very well composed to fit together as a whole set dinner. It all cost 1100 Baht per person, not including drinks. Expensive by Thai standards, but so much value for your money compared to what you would have to pay for this kind of gourmet dinner in Europe or USA! You can easily walk here from Lumphini Park.

Address: 69/5 Saladaeng Road, Silom

How to get there: Take the sky train to Silom station, and walk from there

Opening hours: Only open in the evenings, from around 6 p.m. Pre-book a table, as this place is small and very popular!

Here we are enjoying the lovely sunset at Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit Thonglor.

Top off your three days Bangkok visit with some fancy drinks at a rooftop bar. In the Lumpini area, we recommend Moon Bar at 61st floor at Banyantree Hotel. Let the wind blow through your hair while you admire the magnificent view of Bangkok`s skyline! Nothing beats this ending, and it will for sure make you love this city and long to return. You can walk here from La Table de Tee restaurant.

There are several rooftop bars in Bangkok. We also like the rooftop bar at the Muse Hotel and the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit Thonglor, but the Moon Bar at Banyantree Hotel is our favourite.

Opening hours Moon Bar at Banyantree Hotel: 17:00 – 01:00 every day

Address: 21/100 South Sathon Road

How to get there: Take the sky train to Chong Nonsi, or metro to Lumphini station, and walk from there

Day trips

There are plenty of interesting places around Bangkok that can be visited on a day-trip. The ancient city of Ayutthaya is beautiful and well worth a visit. Many also want to see the famous floating market of Damnoen Saduak but if you go there be aware that it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Thailand, so expect to encounter far more tourists than Thais.

You can do these on your own or join an organized tour with an English speaking guide like the ones below:

There you go, our three days itinerary packed with what we consider it the “heart” of Bangkok. Three days is in our opinion not enough time to spend in this magnificent city. A week is more what we would recommend, then you have time to really enjoy yourself and your time in Bangkok and also have som time to relax.r

Where To Stay In Bangkok

Bangkok offers a wide selection of accommodation for all budgets, and you will have plenty of choices when it comes to finding the right place to stay.

Bangkok is pretty affordable when it comes to accommodation, so you can get some really good deals and even find five stars hotels very cheap compared to other places in the world. However, accommodation prices do vary greatly with the season. Below are some of our favorite hotels in Bangkok. We have stayed at all of the hotels below.

If you'd like to stay along the river without breaking the bank, the new Avani Riverside hotel is a great alternative to the usual riverside luxury hotels. Rooms are super comfortable with fantastic views overlooking the Chao Phraya river and the fantastic rooftop infinity pool is probably our favorite in Bangkok.Click here for current prices

If you're looking for a mid-range option close to Bangkok's famous Khao San area, then the Casa Nithra comes highly recommended. The rooftop swimming pool is lovely, the rooms comfortable and the breakfast has plenty of options. It's located in a quiet area, yet Khao San is just an easy walk away.Click here for current prices

Hotel Icon is a small hotel centrally located on Sukhumvit road. The rooms are fresh and modern, big and comfortable with all the usual comforts such as flat screen tv, aircon, and free Wi-Fi. The rooftop swimming pool is great!Click here for current prices

What To Bring To Bangkok

Bangkok is hot all year round and gets very humid during the rainy season from June to October. Below are some of the essentials you need before heading to Bangkok, along with some links to Amazon.com for more information.

Travel Insurance - Bangkok has some excellent international hospitals, but they aren't cheap. In fact, Thailand is among the worlds most expensive places to be hospitalized. With travel insurance costing just a few dollars a day and potentially saving you thousands of dollars if something happens, you really can't afford to go without. We've used World Nomads in the past, and they offer an excellent service for backpackers, vacationers and short-term travelers alike. Read why we never travel without insurance.

Map - A good map of Bangkok is a must. Our favorite map is The Groovy Map to Bangkok. The map is accurate, durable, and also contains Skytrain & MRT maps, plus it has a lot of great tips about what to see and do in Bangkok by people that have lived there and know the city. It's really like a mini travel guide in map form.

Filtered Water Bottle - The tap water in Bangkok is not safe to drink. To help save the environment and reduce the serious problem of plastic bottle waste, consider bringing a filtered water bottle such as the Lifestraw Filtered Water Bottle.

Noice canceling headphones - While not strictly necessary, I'm not getting on a 10+ hour flight again without my noise canceling headphones!

Sunscreen - Sunscreen lotion often contain whitening in Thailand, so bring some from home.

Walking sandals - A good pair of walking shoes are an absolute must. We have been using our Teva sandals for years.

Clothes for temples - For entry into religious temples and the Kings Palace you need to wear long trousers and a top/ t-shirt that covers your shoulders. We recommend getting something light and breathable that packs down small.

Power adapter - Make sure you can use your electronic devices in Thailand by bringing a travel power adapter. Our favorite is the FosPower Fuse. It is small, light and sturdy and can also charge USB devices.

Travel Guides

We used the Lonely Planet`s Thailand travel guide on our trip. You can get that and other great books by clicking on the pictures below:

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Have you been to Bangkok? Do you agree with our three days itinerary? What would you recommend for a first-time-visitor to Bangkok? Please leave a comment below. If you liked this and found it useful, please share it on social media. Thanks! 🙂

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Maria is a Norwegian travel nerd, who has explored more than thirty countries on four continents. She holds a masters degree in Computer Science, as well as an MBA. See our about page for more about Maria.

I’ve been to Bangkok a couple of years ago and spent most of my time in bed, sick (totally under the weather). So, out of 2 weeks vacation I got about 1 week to explore and saw most of this stuff (like the temples and the Jim Thompson house and of course the Lumphini Park), but just realized I missed on a lot of stuff! We’ve been meaning to return to Bangkok soon, so this guide is totally what we need. (we have a private joke that I should start rating hospitals abroad because I always get sick lol)

Oh no, so sorry to hear that you spent most of your time being sick in Bangkok. 🙁 So bad! Then you definitely have to come back to Bangkok, so much to see and do in this wonderful city. Fingers crossed that you won`t get sick this time Sandra.

Great itinerary! I think it’s awesome to spend 3 days in the city. I used to live in Bangkok and often hosted Couchsurfers. It always made me a bit sad when they just spent 1 night in Bangkok, went drinking in Khao San or one of the red light districts and then left with a ‘I don’t know how you can live here, the city is terrible!’. Bangkok is so diverse and 1 day really isn’t enough!

Thanks for commenting Laura! Totally agree with you, 1 day in Bangkok is definitely not enough time to explore this beautiful city. In my opinion even 3 days is not enough to get to know Bangkok properly. We lived there for three months, could have stayed there forever. 🙂

Wow, Bangkok in a week is tough, so 3 days is insane, but you sure won’t run out of things to do – this is an excellent list to explore one of my favorite cities on the world – one I have still only seen tiny bits of!

Really loved reading this and going back to our time in Bangkok. The reclining Buddha and Wat Arun were certainly the highlights of our trip, but the food. Oh man! I miss Thai Food and am so happy to be going back, though to Chiang Mai this time.

This is a really great itinerary, Maria! Thanks for sharing it:) I’ll definitely be passing this on to friends and followers alike!

We actually wanted to go on a bike ride in Bangkok, and checked out several tour operators. But in the end it was just too hot and humid while we were there to go bike riding. 🙂 Next time we will definitely go bike riding, as I think it is an excellent way to see a city and it`s surroundings.

Hi Maria…I’ll be soon leaving for Bangkok. This sounds like a great itinerary. I am too excited about it . Even more after reading your post. Did you also visit Phuket during your visit ? Is it a good idea to go to Phuket if i am on a 7 day trip to Bangkok. ?

Lucky you that are heading for Bangkok soon! If you have 7 days in Thailand in total, I would recommend that you head out to the coast and the beaches. Phuket sounds like a good idea. Phuket is pretty big, and there you will find everything from very touristy party life to more relaxed and remote areas.

Have a great trip to Thailand and Bangkok! I`m sure you will love it! 🙂

I love this itinerary and will take your advice for days 1 and 3 but we are not very interested in the shopping, movies and modern parts of the city. Is there an alternative you might recommend? Maybe a day trip?

If you want to get out of town for a bit then a trip to explore the former Siam capital of Ayutthaya, with its temple ruins, is very nice. There are plenty of tour operators arranging these, and they can be combined with a river cruise.

Another popular trip is to the Damnoen Saduak floating market. Personally I think it has become too touristy these days, but if you can get there before the busloads of tourists it can still be a nice experience.

If you would rather stay in the city and learn a bit more about its history and workings, then the trips offered by Bangkok Vanguards and Expique are both excellent choices.

Hi Maria. Read your writing and its awesome! Im outta idea planning my own iti for 3-day-stay in BKK. Glad that I found this. Anyway I have few questions that I think you could give me some thought of it (hope you dont mind).

1. Well, could say youve visited so many places in a day and mostly those attractions are closed quite early (I might say), so what time you left your hotel in the morning? in order to be able to explore those places?

2. Im thinkin of stayin at any hotel along the Khao San Road, do you think its is accessible for me to catch up all those interesting spots you mentioned in your writing? or you have any better suggestion? (well, Im a solo traveller so budget hotels just fine for me LOL)

1. You are right, this is a busy schedule if you want to squeeze in this much in each day. We got up pretty early and left our hotel around 8/9 in the morning. You can choose to only see one of the three temples/palaces, and choose either Grand Palace, Wat Pho or Wat Arun, and not all of them.

2. Khao San Road is a good place to stay. It is not the most accessible place to stay if you want to use the metro or Skytrain to get around the city, as Khao San Road is not close to a metro or skytrain station. But it is possible to walk to the river and take river ferry to the temples and palace along the river. It is also easy to grab a taxi and tuk-tuk from Kao San Road. Be aware of scams in the Kao San Road though, as this is very common in this area.

Our favourite areas to stay in are around Sukhumvit Road and Lumphini Park.

Hehe, thanks for trying to find a greeting word in Norwegian! That is so sweet of you! Good day = God dag, Bye = Hadet, Thanks = Takk, and Hi = Hei. 🙂

Have a great trip to Bangkok! I am sure you will love it just as much as we do! 🙂

Thanks for this! Great tips! We stayed in Bangkok briefly on our way to the islands but really didn’t explore it much. We are planning to meet my parents in Bangkok, but they also would like to get to a beach. Do you have any recommendations for the closest (shortest amount of time to drive to, if that’s possible) beach to Bangkok?

The closest beaches I would recommend from Bangkok are in Hua Hin and on Ko Samet. Both are quite nice and can be reached in 3-4 hours from Bangkok.

Hua Hin is a small city with lots of restaurants and hotels. It is a fairly popular among both Thais and tourists, although it is usually not too busy. The beach is beautiful with many km of sand, but it almost disappears at the full moon high tide. It is also a popular destination for kitesurfing because it can be quite windy there.

Ko Samet is an island, so you need to take a short ferry ride when you get off the taxi/bus. It is very popular with both visitors from Bangkok and Pattaya and can get very crowded at times since it is a fairly small island. If you are going on the weekend or during a holiday, it might be smart to book a hotel in advance. It is probably the closest you can get to the south Thailand island beach life this close to Bangkok.

Thanks a million Ty!! So glad this itinerary could be of help to you. It is a bit packed. There are plenty to do and see in this city and we don`t want our readers to miss out on anything. We recommend spending more than three days in this great city, then you can have some slack and relax time too. 🙂

Thanks Maria for this itinerary. Though I am Asian (Filipino), I chose to follow a European’s eye as it gives me a different and new perspective on what to expect. Your blog helped me and my family a lot specially on the train and boat rides and exploring the temples. Though we haven’t followed all of it, your guide has given us tons of ideas during our travel in Bangkok. When are you coming over to the Philippines? I’m excited to see how you would describe our delightfully chaotic country. Cheers!

Thanks for your comment! I am so happy to hear that our itinerary was of help to you when visiting Bangkok!

We hope to visit the Philippines soon!It is on our bucket list. It looks absolutely beautiful! We hope to visit Boracay island, Bohol with its Chocolate Hills and the rice terraces of Banaue. Your beaches look amazing, hope to be able to do some kite surfing in the Philippines too.

China Town in BKK is awesome! We have been to China Town several times before, but only when we went on a guided walking tour did we learn the real story of this old and fascinating area of Bangkok. Such an interesting and important part of Bangkok’s history and soul.

The great thing about missing out on China Town is that you have a great excuse to visit Bangkok again! 🙂

We have not been to Ayutthaya or Kanchanaburi yet, so have to go back to Bangkok soon…..

We have not stayed at the Marvin Suites yet, but it looks like a great hotel. It seems like it is within walking distance to a Skytrain station (Surasak or Chong Nonsi), and they have a free shuttle that takes you to the Skytrain station if you don`t want to walk. Then you will easily be able to get around to all the tourist spots. Good choice of hotel.

If you are looking for some more hotel recommendations, check out our article on where to stay in bangkok here.

Thank you much for this Maria. This article is very helpful. My friend and I plan to visit Bangkok next July 19-23. Technically, we have free 4 days. Would you recommend to go to one of the floating markets? Thank you very much.

We have not been to any of the many floating markets in and around Bangkok, but I know they are very popular among tourists. I have heard, however, that some of them can be a bit too touristy and over-prized, so read up on which one to visit.

Hi Maria, thank you so much for this wonderful guide. My sisters and I went to Bangkok last week and it was invaluable. I carried it everywhere we went. As inexperienced travellers it really helped us get around and have lots of fun.

I would recommend staying in the center and within walking distance of a Skytrain station. There is really no point in staying close to the airport as it’s too far away from the major attractions. Have a look at our article Where to stay in Bangkok, for our favourite places to stay.

Hi Maria I’m really glad I found this great information as we are travelling through Bangkok before heading to Vietnam…we will arrive in Bangkok on the morning of New Years Eve (31 December 2016) and therefore be in Bangkok over New Years Day as well – will this affect what sights (temples etc) will be open or will it be business as usual? Many thanks!

The temples, shops, and restaurants are normally all open as usual around New Year. But it might be a little different this year, due to the fact that the king of Thailand just died and this might affect the opening hours of the Royal Grand Palace and the surrounding temples.

We do not yet know how the king`s death and that the country will be in grief a whole year will affect the opening hours of temples. There will probably be a lot of religious ceremonies at the temples, especially during holiday seasons, and they will probably close for tourists during these ceremonies.

Have a great New Years Eve in Bangkok! We have celebrated seven New Years Eves in this great city, and loved every one of them! They have fireworks at Siam Square and Lumphini Park, so these are good places to be close to around midnight. I`m sure you will have a great time!

This is a great read Maria! I am still making an itinerary for four countries and your blog post would surely help for my trip to Bangkok. Hope to see you around the Philippines! If you’ll be here, please don’t forget to visit Siargao, it’s the surfing capital here and has the best island vibe. 😀

Thank you so much, glad to be of help. We would love to visit the Philippines, and especially Siargao, it is now on our bucket list! It sounds like the perfect place for us since we love surfing and island life. Thanks for the tip!

Wow, this is just amazing! My husband and I are travelling to Thailand this month for about 9 days or so and your blog has been a source of very good information. I’m wondering if you have recommendations for the elephant experience near Bangkok?

As for elephants, I do not recommend that you visit one of the many elephant riding camps that are all over Thailand. They are awful and cruel to the animals! We went on an elephant riding trip close to Railey once, and it was the worst! They hit the elephants so bad that one of them started bleeding! I just wanted to cry, I felt really bad and will never ever do that again.

I do however recommend that you go to one of the elephant sanctuaries, like Boon Lotts Elephant Sanctuary outside of Bangkok where they treat elephants like they should be treated, with respect and love. Read more of this fantastic place over at my friend Katie`s blog:

Have a great trip to Bangkok!! Hope you find a nice place to see elephants, that also takes good care of the elephants.

Thank you so much for this valuable information! My son (14 years old) and I are excited to follow your advice on our trip. We are currently sitting in the airport in Taiwan headed to Bangkok now. We will be making a trip to Chiang Mai after and were curious if you know of any humane elephant sanctuaries in that area? I do not want to see any animals being harmed it would ruin my experience.

Hi maria! loved your article about Bangkok!! I will be having a convention in centrata grand convention center, I would like to ask if you have any suggestion for the nearest and best hotel to stay around it. thank you !!!

Thank you so much! The Centara Grand Hotel at Central World is in connection to the Centara Grand Convention Center and would the perfect place to stay during your convention. It is a bit expensive, though, being a five-star hotel, but the hotel is lovely!

The Centara Grand Convention Center is in the Siam area of Bangkok. There is a lot of hotels in this area. We have written a guide where we list hotels that we recommend in each area of Bangkok. Check out which hotels we recommend in Siam area here: https://nerdnomads.com/where-to-stay-in-bangkok

Hi Have 4 days in bangkok in Jan, staying in the Shangri-la, will be doing some of your trips thanks for the help. Would love to try street food but scared sick of getting sick !! Any top tips apart from seeing them cook in front of you ?

Hi. I will probably try your itinerary once we arrive in Bangkok this January. I’m wondering where could be the best budget accommodation you can suggestion given your list of places to visit? Hope you can advice us on this.

So happy to hear that our itinerary helped you out when planning your trip to Bangkok! We will actually be in Bangkok ourselves at the end of January. Really looking forward to it!

When it comes to budget accommodation, Khao San/ Banglamphu is considered the cheapest backpacker area. Khao San does however not have any Skytrain stations, or underground/metro. So bus, ferry, tuk-tuk and taxi are the transportation options if you stay in Khao San.

Hi Maria, Will be visiting Bangkok this coming March with my husband and 1.5 year old daughter. My husband and I are frequent visitor of Thailand, but its totally different now that we will visit again with our little one. We will get a nanny on our first day/night. Would like to ask, is it safe to bring our daughter when we try one of the floating markets? Or even the Ayutthaya? We are arriving on a Saturday. Thanks and hoping for your recommendation.

Hmm, I have no experience with traveling with a small child in Thailand, sorry. But I saw many babies and small children traveling with their parents around Bangkok and Thailand in general, and they seemed to be very safe and happy. Just keep your daughter close by or in a trolley as there might be pretty crowded especially at the floating markets.

Hi Maria, We are excited to go there this weekend! Do you have any recommendations for a night cruise – that is not too expensive? We want to experience Bangkok at night via cruise and have a nice dinner to one of your restaurant recommendations.

Greetings. We are a group of 5, planning to visit Thailand in the month of July. We have 9 days with us. Planning to spend 4 days to visit places in and around Pattaya and 4 days for places in and around Bangkok. It would be great if you could suggest us an itinerary for 9 days to cover most of the prominent places.

Sorry, I don`t know the Pattaya area that well, have only been there once. Some friends of us have a house in Pattaya, and they use to go to Koh Samet (an island south of Pattaya) and say it’s beautiful. We like Hua Hin better than Pattaya. The beach is nicer and the town itself has more charm.

As for Bangkok, you can do this itinerary for three of the days, and then maybe one day to Ayutthaya, 80 km north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya was the old capital of Thailand, or the Kingdom of Siam, from 1350 to 1767. It is full of Buddhist temples, palaces, monasteries, and statues. It is a really nice place to go for a day-trip.

Hello! I am planning a trip to Bangkok early July and I wanted to know if all the opening hours provided in this article were still up-to-date to help me organise my visits there. Also, can you please let me know if some area of the city are considered to be unsafe for travelers alone? Thanks in advance!

Lucky you who are going to Bangkok in July! Yes, as far as I know, the opening hours are up to date also in July.

There are no areas of Bangkok that are unsafe for solo travelers. But of course, you should always be careful and look after yourself and your belongings. Be aware of scams, especially men and women who approach you and speak perfect English and say that they are English teachers and that the temple you are heading to is closed today. Then they will say that they know how to get you into the temple and can sell you a “special” ticket, way overpriced and not even valid. It is also common to be driven to tailors and governmental gem shops by taxi and tuk-tuk drivers against your will (they get money for driving tourists there by the shop). But there is nothing to worry about, Bangkok is a safe city.

hi maria , i am Muzamil from pakistan and i want to visit bangkok with my family . and what do you suggest us the family places with kids . we want to avoid adults places . and for muslim halal food ? waiting your reply.

We have written a guide on where to stay in Bangkok: https://nerdnomads.com/where-to-stay-in-bangkok. I would say that Silom is a great area to stay in with kids. Then you have walking access to the Sky Train and Underground stations which makes it easy to get around Bangkok. Silom also has the biggest park in Bangkok, Lumphini Park, which is great for kids.

Sorry, I don`t know anything about halal food, but there are a lot of nice restaurants in the Silom area, both Thai restaurants and western restaurants.

Chatuchak Weekend Market was awesome! I highly recommend it too and glad it’s on your list! Get a map however, the stalls do have some order to the chaos. Love that you also have taking a river tour from Taskin. This was a highlight for us. We had been to Bangkok so many times and until we took that tour, we don’t feel we really saw Bangkok.

Another tip for your readers. A great relatively inexpensive hotel near the Taskin Bridge and Saphan Taskin Skytrain is a place called House of Phraya Jasaen. The place has themed rooms that were designed by the owner who is a professor at the Interior Design School in Bangkok. The rooms are awesome! Some shaped in all round objects including the bed, one in a jail theme, one cars, one bottles, others too. A great place and people!

Thank you so much for the tip about House of Phraya Jasaen! The place sounds really cool and a bit crazy, hehe. Will definitely check it out on our next trip to Bangkok.

I love markets, and Chatuchak is my favorite. I agree that a map is a must when visiting this huge market, or you will get lost pretty soon. Totally agree on the river boat trip. Until you have taken one of the river boats in Bangkok, you have not experienced the “real” Bangkok.

I googled this site and the itinerary looks fabulous! However, we will be going to Thailand, starting Bangkok in November 2017 and I want to know whether you can update this info. We will be in Thailand for 14 days and would like to visit exciting places, off the beaten track and not really beach destinations. Wildlife and events a priority. We are finishing our tip in Lipburi for the Monkey Festival Feast. I do not know where to start planning!! Please advise.

Thank you! Happy to hear that you like our Bangkok itinerary and find it useful! This is the perfect Bangkok itinerary for November 2017.

There are so many nice places to see in Thailand. Since you don`t fancy beach destinations, then I would suggest heading up north to Ayutthaya (a 2 hour drive outside of Bangkok) to see the ancient capital of Thailand. Further north is the city Chiang Mai popular for trekking, wildlife and hiking (1 hour flight from Bangkok).

Thank you so much! Glad to hear that our Bangkok itinerary could be of help to you! Wow, cool that you are going to stay at the Loy La Long Hotel! It is pretty unique and has a beautiful location right by the river.

Hmmm, sorry I don`t have any recommendations for spas or Thai massages. There are plenty of places offering Thai massages in Bangkok, and many of the big hotels have really nice spas that also have Thai massages.

Have an awesome trip to Bangkok! And enjoy your stay at Loy La Long Hotel!

Great article about from a couple who actually live there. Lot of people don;t spend much time in the city because Thailand is mostly famous for beaches. This is very informative article will give heads up for people who looking for urban vibrant.

Yes, Bangkok is safe for female solo travellers, you will be just fine. Thai people are very friendly. You should not stay in Khao San area. Sukhumvit area is great with plenty of western expats living there with families. It is a safe area which has decent restaurants and bars. We have stayed in Sukhumvit area a lot and really likes it.

Thank you! Great to hear that you take inspiration from this itinerary for your Bangkok weekend! Just remember that the Royal Palace is closed this month because the King will be buried there at the end of October. So no point in visiting the Royal Palace. Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the other temples are open, though.

Have an amazing time in the great city of Bangkok! I`m sure you will love it!

Maria: We are coming to Bangkok for on a cruise to Laem Chabang. Then we are planning on staying at the Marriott Marquis in Sukhumvit using points. What is the best way to get from that port to Grand Palace area? Do you know of any tours that pick u up there? If not we are pretty experienced travelers to get our own map and tours once in town. Let me know if you have any suggestions. We are a family of 5 with 3 young adult college kids. Thanks- Mary Jean

From Marriott Marquis Queens Hotel in Sukhumvit, you can walk to Phrom Phong BTS Skytrain station (a 10 min walk). Take the sky train from Phrom Phong station to to Siam station, change train and go from Siam to Saphan Taksin station by the river. From Spahan Takin/ Central Pier, take the river boat up the river to Grand Palace or Wat Arun or Wat Pho. The Grand Palace is, however, closed in October due to the kings funeral.

This is such a detailed and amazing blog post. We only have 2 days in Bangkok. A half day and a full day. I really just want to just see all the temples, but we will be flying into DMK. I am really struggling with finding accommodation. Any suggestions. I want to be close to all the temples and the historical stuff, as we have limited time.

This is literally my first time commenting on a blog post -ever-, but I really wanted to tell you that it was SUPER useful! I’m going to Thailand in about a month for my honeymoon and I’m at that point where I start reading about the places we’ll travel to and to have the indications of Opening Hours, Cost, Approximate Visiting Time, How to Get there, etc. is A-MA-ZING !!

This is a great itenerary! Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Can you suggest tailors or shops in Bangkok who have the expertise to make custom wedding gowns? Will be in Bangkok beginning of next month for 10 days and would like to research and establish communication now.

Thank you so much! Sorry, I don`t know anything about wedding gown tailors in Bangkok. There are tons of tailors in Bangkok so you will have no problem finding one that can do wedding gowns, the problem is finding a good one! There is a lot of scam and untalented tailors in Bangkok, so you should ask around and check carefully. Maybe the hotel you are staying at has a tailor they recommend.

Have a great time in Bangkok and good luck with finding a good wedding gown tailor!